Dead Man Talking - Improve your listening skills and win more sales
Dead Man Talking - Improve your listening skills and win more sales
Listening is not something that comes natural for many people since it is human nature to prefer talking. And when people talk, their favorite topic is...you guessed it... THEMSELVES! People love talking about themselves. If you don't believe that, try this little game next time you're on a cross-country flight. Try asking the person sitting next to you open-ended questions such as, "What kind of work are you in?" and "What made you decide to go into that field" and "What sort of challenges do you find are most common in the work you do?" Watch how quickly they jump all over those questions. Why? Because they get to talk about their favorite subject - Themselves. I used to do this when I flew cross-country for a couple of years and would actually say nearly nothing the entire 5-hour flight, while my seating companion blabbered on the entire trip. It's fun to do this, albeit rather trying on the nerves. But it is an excellent example of my point, not to mention excellent practice to help improve your listening skills.
So why is listening so important? Well, for one, we already mentioned that people prefer talking to listening. So, as a sales person you are actually letting them do what they want to do the most. Second, listening builds trust by showing you have respect for them. Also, listening compliments people by showing that you care. These are all reasons for listening that benefit the talker, or your prospective client. But what about you -- the sales rep. How can listening help you?
The secret to getting your prospect to tell you everything is to simply listen. Acquiring the skill of good listening will increase the amount of money you earn, period...end of story. As we mentioned earlier, you have to ask the right kinds of questions first in order to get them to talk to begin with. Ask open-ended question, or questions that don't require a simple yes or no response. Build more questions based on the responses you get from your previous question. Ask questions about their company, their customers, what sort of challenges they are experiencing, what they did in the past to try to resolve those problems, etc. Get them to open up, then shut up and listen. You will gather very valuable information that will help you make a sale by getting them to purchase the exact solution to the problems they just described. But how do you listen?
A very good listening technique is called "Active Listening". Active listening involves a bit of body language and verbal queues. When they are speaking, respond to certain points or topics with comments such as, "Really!", "No kidding!", "Wow!", "What happened then?", or "Tell me more." This creates an interaction, but without you having to actually say anything. It also shows that you’re paying attention and interested. Also, listen with your body. Lean forward and toward the client to show you are interested. Never slouch or sit back looking too relaxed, else it will appear that you are bored and disinterested. Take notes. Even if they are not very meaningful or helpful to you later, taking notes shows that you are interested enough to log parts of the dialog for future reference.
Practice this at home. No, I don't mean talk to yourself in the mirror and wait for an answer. I mean try this out on your family and friends. Try these same techniques on them and two things will happen. First, you will hone your skills for when you are in a selling situation, and we now know how that will help. Second, your family and friends will realize that you really care and may actually say, "Wow, you are such a good conversationalist." when ironically, you were just being a good listener. So don't be a "dead man" (or woman) - Be a good listener and watch your sales increase.
Good Luck & Good Selling!
Russ Lombardo
russ@PeakSalesConsulting.com
702-655-5652
Dead Man Talking Improve your listening skills and win more sales - To learn more about this author, visit Russ Lombardo's Website.
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If you are in sales and you just keep on talking instead of listening, you're a DEAD MAN! Well, not literally, I hope. But as far as getting that sale, you might as well be walking among the non-living because chances are you won't win over that client. They say that if you cross Selling with Talking, you get Stalking. So let's not stalk our customers. Your goal should be to ask the right questions in order to get the prospect to talk as much as possible. The more they're talking, the more you're learning - learning about their needs, pains, requirements, and what it is that you might be able to help them with.
Listening is not something that comes natural for many people since it is human nature to prefer talking. And when people talk, their favorite topic is...you guessed it... THEMSELVES! People love talking about themselves. If you don't believe that, try this little game next time you're on a cross-country flight. Try asking the person sitting next to you open-ended questions such as, "What kind of work are you in?" and "What made you decide to go into that field" and "What sort of challenges do you find are most common in the work you do?" Watch how quickly they jump all over those questions. Why? Because they get to talk about their favorite subject - Themselves. I used to do this when I flew cross-country for a couple of years and would actually say nearly nothing the entire 5-hour flight, while my seating companion blabbered on the entire trip. It's fun to do this, albeit rather trying on the nerves. But it is an excellent example of my point, not to mention excellent practice to help improve your listening skills.
So why is listening so important? Well, for one, we already mentioned that people prefer talking to listening. So, as a sales person you are actually letting them do what they want to do the most. Second, listening builds trust by showing you have respect for them. Also, listening compliments people by showing that you care. These are all reasons for listening that benefit the talker, or your prospective client. But what about you -- the sales rep. How can listening help you?
The secret to getting your prospect to tell you everything is to simply listen. Acquiring the skill of good listening will increase the amount of money you earn, period...end of story. As we mentioned earlier, you have to ask the right kinds of questions first in order to get them to talk to begin with. Ask open-ended question, or questions that don't require a simple yes or no response. Build more questions based on the responses you get from your previous question. Ask questions about their company, their customers, what sort of challenges they are experiencing, what they did in the past to try to resolve those problems, etc. Get them to open up, then shut up and listen. You will gather very valuable information that will help you make a sale by getting them to purchase the exact solution to the problems they just described. But how do you listen?
A very good listening technique is called "Active Listening". Active listening involves a bit of body language and verbal queues. When they are speaking, respond to certain points or topics with comments such as, "Really!", "No kidding!", "Wow!", "What happened then?", or "Tell me more." This creates an interaction, but without you having to actually say anything. It also shows that you’re paying attention and interested. Also, listen with your body. Lean forward and toward the client to show you are interested. Never slouch or sit back looking too relaxed, else it will appear that you are bored and disinterested. Take notes. Even if they are not very meaningful or helpful to you later, taking notes shows that you are interested enough to log parts of the dialog for future reference.
Practice this at home. No, I don't mean talk to yourself in the mirror and wait for an answer. I mean try this out on your family and friends. Try these same techniques on them and two things will happen. First, you will hone your skills for when you are in a selling situation, and we now know how that will help. Second, your family and friends will realize that you really care and may actually say, "Wow, you are such a good conversationalist." when ironically, you were just being a good listener. So don't be a "dead man" (or woman) - Be a good listener and watch your sales increase.
Good Luck & Good Selling!
Russ Lombardo
russ@PeakSalesConsulting.com
702-655-5652
Dead Man Talking Improve your listening skills and win more sales - To learn more about this author, visit Russ Lombardo's Website.
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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